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Nanocrystal
Technology Ltd. Partnership (NCT) is the first to accomplish the
confinement of a single atom (a "Quantum Confined Atom -
QCA") within a nanocrystal cage of
size between 2 to 10 nanometers.
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In
1993, Dr Rameshwar Bhargava, based on his early experiments, postulated
that confinement of a single atom (ion) will result in a dramatic
non-linear enhancement of the luminescent
properties of a single atom. |
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In
early 2002, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) studied nanophosphor
QCAs supplied by NCT, and confirmed that light output increases
with decreasing size - a phenomenon which goes contrary to expectations
based upon the behaviour of larger size particles. In fact ORNL
confirmed that a single atom in (ion) in
a cage of 2 to 5 nanometers achieves the highest light emitting
efficiency. |
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NCT's
QCA is a breakthrough discovery which demonstrates that the property
of a single atom can be manipulated in a controllable manner. It
will result in novel optical and magnetic devices, and is expected
to become a formidable branch of nanotechnology. |